People who go to the cinema and sit on their phones for the whole film, why?

[Ahsoka2002]

I'm genuinely curious

None of us are immune. I self impose a phone ban for minimum 2 hours before sleep, preferably 3.

Makes me feel ancient but I clearly remember when I first started, it was a reasonable assumption that most students could properly focus on an hour's lecture. Feels like another world now.

You sound awful.

We used to go to a little independent cinema,cheap as chips, manager in person made a joke about phone usage, but everyone complied, Covid killed the cinema. Cineworld, always people on their phones throughout the whole films. Last time 3 girls late teens, sitting next to me,calls, texts you name it, I ended up with a migraine because of the flashing lights. So we have granny on here boasting she does it, great example for future generations!

All this is reminding me of why I haven't been to the cinema for 10 years 🤣

I do this when I'm with the kids sometimes and the film is awful. I turn the screen brightness down to the minimum setting though.

Please don’t do this.

It’s inconsiderate and spoiling other people’s paid for experience. The light from your phone in a dark room is distracting - you are not in your phone in a cafe in daylight.

Also, if you can’t work that out yourself/think your needs are more important then the fact that cinemas literally announce that everyone needs to put their phones away when the film is starting shows that it’s a requirement for being in the cinema. As is not talking.

A serious inability to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes at a time.

No-one who cannot switch off their phone for 2-3 hours should be in a cinema. If you need to be in contact all the time, you should find other activities.

It’s an epidemic - the worst are people who stare at it walking down the street. There are exceptions - reading a map for example - but it’s clear many aren’t.

Please don’t do this.

Announcement/ screen instructions ask you to put your phone away when the film starts. It doesn’t say crack on if you turn your screen brightness down.

We’ve all sat through kids films that aren’t are to our taste or got stuck watching a bad film. It doesn’t give you the right to spoil other people’s experience.

Because tgeir companion chose the film , and they aren't interested

So you say that and don’t go or do something else.

I cannot fathom this level of selfishness.

I had the worst cinema experience a few weekends ago. A woman in my eyeline on her phone the whole time, someone behind me crunching nachos that seemed to last the entire film, and a man a few places away from me hawking up snot every couple of minutes. I vowed never again to go to a popular film on the weekend. Usually I go on a weekday after work and it's much more civilised.

I'm not spoiling anyone's experience however

So either don't go, or just be a bit bored for a couple of hours. It's not the end of the world!

Even worse when they are scrolling in the theatre during a live performance - so rude and disrespectful to the performers and annoying for the person sitting next to them.

Anecdotally, I have only ever seen older/boomer age people doing this, never the young 'uns that are usually subject to criticism for their use of social media.

I’ve sat in films recently silently annoyed with people doing this and wondered about their critical thinking in how this could possibly be okay ( when they are actually told to put phones away).

Turns out people either think it doesn’t apply to them (because they are bored/didn't want to see the film/have turned their screen brightness down).

Don’t go to the cinema if you can’t not be quiet and turn your phone off.

if you find yourself watching a film you don’t like either leave (and meet friends afterwards) or sit it out because it’s not very long (e.g. if your children want to see something).

Don’t think oh I’ll just go on my phone, it’s only me and doesn’t affect anyone else. Your screen being on in a dark cinema is bothering everyone.

I can guarantee you are.

And you have been told by the cinema not to have your phone on so you’re just choosing to do what suits

But you are. And setting a bad example.

Get off your phone!

I do this thing when that happens - I say the words “thanks for the offer, but I don’t want to see that film” and then I don’t go. I’m really out there and edgy though, so that approach might not be for everyone.

Don't do this, it is so rude and inconsiderate. We managed just fine sitting through things that didn't grip us before phones, I am sure you can cope without your dopamine hit for an hour or two.

As I said in an earlier post, it is never young people I see acting in this entitled manner, despite the criticism frequently leveled at them.

How can you not realise a light in a dark room bothers others?
Yes, this. Do you actually not understand this? I am asking out of genuine interest.

To be fair at Everyman you are expected to use your phone to order food and drink. Although I will say it’s a total ballache as the QR code doesn’t work once it’s dark, even if you’re just trying to get something during the ads!

Of course it's bad manners Is this what you're teaching your grandchildren? That you can shine a bright light in a dark room full of people who've paid to watch it and it's OK? What other sort of manners are you modelling for them?

Think of the money people could save if they didn’t go and see films they didn’t really want to see and so sat on their phone for 2.5 hours instead!

Cinema is very expensive now - why the hell would you waste your money and your time doing this? (Taking kids is an exception- it’s just part of parenting.)

And this is a reason why having people being selfish in the cinema is so crap for other people - they do want to see the film in peace and have paid a lot to see it on the big screen.

Exactly the boomer mentality - they love to cricitise youngsters while being enormously entitled about their own wants. I know 'boomer' is a trigger word on Mumsnet, but I am not young myself and can't help but notice the appalling selfishness of many older people.